Passages

David Smith, L/IDSA, passed away on Feb. 25, 2017 at his home in Columbus, OH, surrounded by his family. He was 84. Colleague and fellow Pratt Institute alum Deane Richardson, FIDSA, was with Smith only a few hours before he passed.

IDSA Fellow William Plumb has passed away at the age of 84 in Piermont, NY. He is survived by his wife of 43 years Catherine​ Plumb, and children Christian Plumb and Abigail Plumb-Larrick. His daughter also works in design and human factors—in software—at Rockwell Automation. "My father believed in the marriage of beauty and usability at the heart of industrial design," his daughter tells the Society.

Lella Vignelli, an architect who became a product designer and entrepreneur, has died at the age of 82. Along with her husband, the design pioneer from Italy formed half of the "first couple of modern design." Both were IDSA members.

Former executive vice president of design at Knoll International and decorated US Army veteran Donald Rorke, L/IDSA, passed away on Nov. 4, 2016. He was 86.

Rorke was born in 1929 to architect Edwyn Rorke and classical musician Florence Rorke. He attended Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from Syracuse University and completed management and design work at Harvard Graduate School of Design.

An IDSA member for nearly half a century who served as Society president and Board chair, and was inducted into the Academy of Fellows, passed away on Aug. 28, 2016. Jim Ryan, FIDSA, was 79 years old. He joined IDSA in 1970.

IDSA Member Craig James Carlson has passed away at the age of 62, after a five-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born in in Brooklyn, New York on October 14, 1954. Carlson became an industrial designer and the owner of InDepth Design in Lawrence, MA which consulted everything from small partnerships/start-ups to major corporations in products and services ranging from medical instrumentation to packaging to cable management and more.

A memorial fund has been set up in honor of IDSA Fellow and historian Carroll Gantz, who passed away on Nov. 18, 2015 at the age of 84. The fund, set up by Gantz’s brother, Vernon, and associates, will help young people who are aiming to work in arts and design. Donations may be sent to St. Paul's UCC Church, 104 Green Street, Sellersville, PA 18960. Checks may be made out to "Gantz Fund.” “Today’s youth is tomorrow’s future,” says Vernon Gantz.

The Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) Student Chapter faculty advisor at California State University-Long Beach (CSULB), and industrial design assistant professor—David Teubner, IDSA—tells Voice of America the 23-year-old ID student, Nohemi Gonzalez, who was one of the 129 people killed Nov. 13, 2015 in the terrorist attack in Paris, was a hard working person who also mentored other students. “Energetic, bubbly, warm, wonderful and crazy…. She sent me an email last week telling me how much she was enjoying it over there; how much she was learning.”